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The Usual Suspects by GamgeeFest	7 Review(s)
Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/31/2005
It's all so awkward between them all. I felt very sorry for all of them. I do think I know what the answer will be though. (small smile.) Author Reply: It's bad enough being upset, but to have to pretend to be happy and carefree at a birthday party while all you can think about is how upset you are is just about the worst possible situation to be in. Frodo rode it out though and however ineffective their conversation may have been, at least Frodo heard them out.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/22/2005
Poor Frodo. But - equally poor Esmeralda and Saradoc. Frodo is such a damaged child - it is really not surprising that his guardians doubted him. Whatever mouths say about trust and other chances, minds reflect their experience - and their experience of Frodo's reliability is not good. They have poured support into Frodo and now, by doubting him on one occasion when he actually wasn't doing anything wrong, they have put strain on their relationship. I hope that, one day, when Frodo has grown up and learned to live with himself, that he is able to see that he has been the author of his own problems. It is a good thing that Frodo will soon be heading for Hobbiton. For him, anyway. He needs individual attention in a quiet and secure environment. It's not such a good thing for those he is leaving behind - Esmeralda and Saradoc will always feel that they failed him. Typical Bracegirdle. Bunch of troublemakers. Author Reply: The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, and Frodo's past behavior doesn't speak in his favor. Frodo is very much aware of this fact and that is the reason he is (rightly, though harshly) blaming himself, but that doesn't console him. Esme and Sara at least now have a stepping stone for putting that old image of Frodo behind them and will be better able to give him a clean slate (even if never a completely clean one) in the future. More than ever before, Frodo needs not only one-on-one time, but some personal space and freedom to not just do what he wants but to mess up and make mistakes as well. But he needs something else even more than that, something which only Bilbo can truly provide for him. That won't console those left behind, Merry least of all. Those Bracegirdles cause trouble everywhere they go, don't they. Thanks for reading! :)

Andrea	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005
Oh yes! I, too, know where this leads, where this can only lead! And it makes me sad. Sara and Esme did right not to plan what to say, Frodo would have sensed it and would have ignored them completely. What they said, came directly from the heart and I'm sure Frodo noticed that, and the honesty with which they spoke. I agree, though, that his last comment was only half-hearted. He was hurt far too much. I loved it that you put Piper in here, as a kind of "anchor" for Frodo with her simple, yet wise advice. As I said, we know the outcome, but we don't know how our characters will get there. That's what I like about your stories: there are still lots of possibilities! Author Reply: It will be a sad day when that finally happens and yes, that is where this is going. Kids can spot a phony a mile away, and Frodo more so than most. Esme and Sara would have realized that early on and knew better than to rehearse any speeches. Even if Frodo did not listen to their words, he would have heard their intention and that might actually be for the better. He wasn't ready to listen to anything they said but he does at least know that they still care for him, even if he can't express that at the moment. He still has to work through his own feelings on the matter, but when he finally is ready to approach them, it will help to know that they are there for him and want to work things out. As I said in my response to Dreamflower, there are two reasons for Piper being here. One, Frodo was in desperate need of simple wisdom from an objective third party, and he learned long ago that Piper was the one to go to for such things. Two, the foundation of Frodo's later reliance and trust in Sam, another working-class hobbit of simple wisdom, can be traced back to this earlier friendship with Piper. My Frodo has always been more open with Sam than just about anyone, and this has a great deal to do with it. (Of course, there's also the matter that Sam is Frodo's protector, and though Frodo may not have been conscious of it for most of his youth and even early adulthood, he would have been instinctively drawn to Sam for that reason as well.) I'm so glad that you're enjoying this. :)

MaidenofValinor	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005
Aww...sounds like a miserable time for everyone. Poor, poor Frodo. Poor, poor Esme and Sara. Poor everyone. It sounds like they got lovely presents, though. The hobbit way of giving presents always made much more sense to me... Anyway, this is wonderful, as usual. I really hope things get better between Frodo and Esme. I am finding myself very emotionally attached to this story! Haha. It must just be your great writing. ~_^ Love ya lots and Happy Holidays! Author Reply: This wasn't a very festive party, was it? All these unresolved issues hanging in the air rather put a damper on things. I'm sure they were all glad to see the guests leave. The presents, as lovely as they were, probably only wretched the knife further in, for they couldn't enjoy the getting or giving of them, at least not yet. Things will likely be patchy for a while, but time heals everything, as they say. They just need to find their footing again. Thanks so much for reading, and happy holidays to you too. ^_^

shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005
Oh, I so desperately want to see Frodo happy again, and knowing that he's valued and trusted! Author Reply: Somewhere, deep down, he knows that Sara and Esme still love him. He's just having a little trouble seeing it right now. This rift is a bad one, but it's not unmendable, so long as they all try to repair it. Once Frodo finishes brooding, that famous Baggins stubbornness will show up and help him to work things out with his guardians. ^_^

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005
Awww...poor Frodo. And poor Esme and poor Saradoc. And most of all, poor Merry--for I see now where this will be heading. (I don't however feel sorry for Hilda! Blockheaded Bracegirdle!) I do admire Esmeralda and Saradoc for being willing to shoulder their share of the blame for the communication breakdown. Many adults would have tried to maintain their authority by insisting that there had been good reason for their suspicion, and I am glad that they did not fall into that trap. It's a good thing Bilbo is there, and again, I see where it's headed. Perhaps it is time that he has his eyes opened a bit. And I am also glad to see that Frodo has a friend in Piper as well. She has a very level head on her shoulders. Another one who did not fall into the common trap young friends often do, of commiserating by castigating the parents who are to blame for the blow-up. ("Well, they're just so mean to you! Of course you are right to be upset with them! They deserve it!") This is an excellent look at how hard it can be with raising a child--any child--and especially guiding them through the early and very rough patches of adolescence. You have very good insight into how the dynamics work. Poor Merry. Author Reply: It should be no secret by now where this story is going. It can really only have one conclusion, and Merry will be the one, in the end, to be hurt the most. He has many sleepless nights ahead of him. Hilda was the culprit by circumstance, lol. Doderic was born the year after Frodo turned 20, so the idea of her being pregnant and having those darn cravings fit in perfectly here. And she is a Bracegirdle. Everything just pointed toward her. Esme and Saradoc just feel so horrible about what happened, it would never have occured to them to not take the blame, and trying to shrug aside what they did would only have widened the rift. Besides, they know that Frodo is already blaming himself for everything, there would be little need for them to do the same. Bilbo chose a good year to visit, and he's been having his eyes opened more and more each day since his arrival. He's seen how strained the relationship between Frodo, Sara and Esme is, even prior to this latest development, and he's learned things he would never have guessed. Of course, this is Bilbo we're talking about. He already had a certain plan in mind when he showed up. Now, he's convinced that he must go through with it, though now it's for Frodo's sake more than his own. Ah, Piper. There's two reasons for her inclusion here. The first, because she is so level-headed. She's a voice of reason and Frodo recognizes that. He would have felt naturally drawn to her during the rough patches. She has a soothing presence about her also, that would help to calm Frodo when he needed it most. The second reason is that I wanted to show that Frodo's friendship and confidence in the 'working class' hobbits began before he moved to Hobbiton. This would help open the door later, when he befriends Sam and starts to share his secrets with him. Sam also has the same level-headedness and wise simplicity that Piper has, and Frodo would recognize those qualities immediately and be able to feel comfortable around Sam, as well as the Gaffer and everyone else. Good insight - how about first-hand experience, lol. Growing up in my house was never boring, which wasn't always a good thing. ~_^

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005
And the answer to Frodo's needs is helping relieve Merry's anxiety right now. Well, well done. Author Reply: Just having Frodo finally show up relieved Merry's worries a great deal. If Frodo weren't so wrapped up in his own worries, he might be able to realize that Merry is also in need of comfort. This must all be very confusing for Merry, since he doesn't really know everything that's going on, only that his parents and Frodo aren't getting along - again. From past experience, he can only expect that Frodo would try to take off again, and he'll be sticking to Frodo like glue whenever he can to prevent that.

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